They set out from the Butterfly Mansion for the first examination site, Mount Fujikasane.
Besides changing trains, they also had three days of mountain trails ahead of them.
For ordinary people, it was a long journey that required finding lodgings along the way.
But for Xia Xi and the two sisters, this was simply part of their training, especially for Kanae.
Shinobu Kocho walked ahead with light steps.
From time to time, she glanced back at Xia Xi and her older sister Kanae, who had fallen behind.
At that moment, Kanae's breathing was noticeably unsteady.
Fine beads of glistening sweat had even formed at her temples.
Yet she still did her best to maintain [Total Concentration: Constant], as Xia Xi had instructed.
This was the Igarashi school's method of training Constant.
It involved naturally incorporating Total Concentration breathing into a particular detail of daily life to achieve the breathing state of [Heart Like Still Water].
Constant developed through this method consumed somewhat less energy than Constant developed through grueling training.
"Adjust your breathing. Don't force it so much."
Xia Xi's voice came from behind her.
"You're fighting your body's instincts right now. The harder you force it, the less effective it becomes."
Kanae nodded and took a deep breath, trying to relax.
However, just as telling someone not to imagine something only made their body and mind dwell on it more, the opposite happened.
Having only just switched from Blowing into a Gourd, Kanae clearly had yet to adjust.
It was just like when Xia Xi had first trained in Total Concentration under Igarashi.
Her breathing fell out of rhythm again.
Even without focusing all his attention on the rise and fall of the girl's chest or the air passing through her mouth and nose, Xia Xi could tell that